Gottfried Helnwein

This is a contemporary artist who works in the United States and Europe. I'm been familiar with his work for awhile and really like his style. He addresses subjects that most people are too uncomfortable to mention and this is one of the aspects of his work I really enjoy, along with his photo realistic style. Helnwein grew up in warn-torn Austria. The ravages of war he saw as a child really influenced his work. Most of his pieces are really uncomfortable in subject and he makes a lot of references to pop culture, like using Disney references in his pieces. All of his work has a very distinct and unique style. Helnwein uses mainly mixed media or oil to paint his very large pieces. His children are also involved in the arts.